Insanity Drives
by Harp Strumming Choirboy
Summary: England is a place where many things can occur. Some of them could have happened without the influence of the magical world, but others came only from the twist of magic and a foreign world. Mostly EdWin. A drabble collection.
1. Driving

"_NO, NO I DON'T. I ADMIT IT, OKAY? I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DRIVE. ALRIGHT WINRY? YOU. WIN_," Ed shouted, shoulders hunched as he panicked while he steered the wheel, swerving uncontrollably and speeding to no limits. Thankfully, there weren't many cars on the road.

"Then why did you _SUGGEST_ driving in the _FIRST_ _GOD DAMN PLACE_?" Winry screamed back, clinging to the seat beside him and glancing back at the four terrified kids sitting in the back seat—including Al, Harry, Ron, and Hermione. She tried to reassure them, until they hit a bump and the car jerked slightly, sending everyone barreling into Al, who was unfortunate enough to be sitting farthest to the right.

"Alright, that's it, Alchemy freak!" Winry growled, grabbing a lever on the side of the seat and dropping the seat to the ground, Ed yelped and let his eyes widen in shock as Winry slipped into his lap, violently removing his hands from the steering wheel and kicking his feet away from the pedals roughly, she pulled the car over and turned around sharply to face the blond nose to nose, he was blushing fiercely and cowering slightly, while at the same time awing at her driving skill. "Where did you learn to drive, Machine Geek?" He yelled back.

"I don't know, maybe in Rush Valley while you were off on your little quest?"

"Hey, did you _want _Al to stay in that suit of armor forever?"

"Of course not, but you could've _visited!_"

"I _did _visit!"

"Yeah, when you _broke my Automail!"_

"Unsexy Gear-head!"

"Pipsqueak bookworm!"

They both growled, foreheads and noses pressed tightly together, fiery gold eyes battling against icy blue orbs.

Ron glanced at Harry, Hermione, and Al before whispering. "_Someone push them into a kiss!_"

Al smiled widely, whispering back. "_Do it, Do it, Do it!"_


	2. Don't Ruin the Moment

"… Al…? Win…ry?" Eyes wide, Ed stared over at the two teenagers that sat on the fading transmutation circle that had randomly appeared over dinner in front of the staff table.

Ed stood slowly, ignoring Hermione, Ron, and Harry's puzzled looks as he walked down the aisle way between the Gryffindor and Slytherin tables. He stared forward, hoping to whatever god that was out there that he wasn't dreaming or hallucinating.

Ed stopped, blinking at the two blonds that got to their feet and looked around with puzzled expressions before landing their eyes on Ed, both froze. "Brother?" the younger asked.

Ed launched himself forward, crashing into both and pushing them over, pulling them into a tight hug.

"Owowowowowww~ ED! Your Automail is _crushing me_!" Winry complained, grabbing the wrench from her back pocket and whacking him over the head with it, many girls in the 'audience' of students gasped.

"What the hell, Machine geek! I don't see you for what, three months and the first thing you can do is slug me with a wrench? I don't see your logic, unsexy gear-head!" He didn't look particularly angry, though, as he yelled at her.

"I was worried! Alchemy freak! I hit you _because _I haven't seen you in a quarter of a year! Pipsqueak!"

"Who're you callin' a boxy little pipsqueak! You Automail fanatic!" It wasn't really a question. " and that doesn't make sense!"

"Brother, Winry…"

Ed's shoulders fell lax and he smiled instead, cocking his head. "I didn't break my Automail, if that helps…"

Winry scowled, icy blue eyes seeming to melt into a gentle ocean before she smiled slightly. "Good, because then I'd have to kill you… and make you shorter."

He narrowed his eyes. "I'm not short."

He looked between Al and Winry before smiling wider and pulling them both into a literally crushing hug.

"… Brother, have you been drinking any milk, at all?"

"Don't ruin the moment, Al."


	3. Lover's Quarrel

"I don't know how you always manage to screw up your Automail, no matter what," Winry huffed, giving a jerk of her shoulder as she tightened a bolt violently.

"O-ow! Hey! That thing's connected to me, Automail Geek!" he hissed, rolling his neck slightly. "and I didn't 'screw it up' you're just looking for a reason to nag me."

"Feh, I don't need to _look _for a reason to nag you, which I'm _not_," she hissed back, dropping her wrench. "done, by the way."

He flexed her arm, earning a small blush from her (which went un-noticed by the denser-than-a-rock Alchemist). "If you say so, nag."

"I am _not _a nag, Edward, If I don't take care of you, who will?"

"Uh, I dunno, the other mother hen down stairs?" He responded, sending her a glance.

"Oh, okay. Well your _brother _can take over fixing your Automail from now on," she huffed, crossing her arms and jerking her head to toss her bangs from her face, in which Ed stared momentarily before sharply looking away with a blush.

"What, can't put up with me anymore, Machine freak?"

"Maybe it's _you _that can't deal with _me_!" She retorted.

"Who would _want _to '_deal_' with an unsexy tomboy like you_?_!" Ed shot back, making air quotes.

She paused for a second, obviously hurt by that comment, but she shook it off and dealt with it in anger. "Obviously not _your _pipsqueak ass!" She shouted back, hands coming to her hips.

"I'm not implying that I am, but _some girls actually like short men!_" He shouted back, taking a few steps forward. Winry stepped back and didn't hesitate to respond with: "_Oh? _Well I don't have anything to worry about, because you're practically _ASEXUAL!_"

Ed took another step forward, pushing Winry back into the arm of the couch behind her. "Asexual? Please! You may think that, because you're so _uncute_ and the _only women I've ever laid eyes on_!" he hissed.

She stood, shocked for a moment, before replying. "If I'm so _uncute, _then why don't you _advert your eyes to other women?"_

"_Because I can't!"_ He replied sharply, and definitely without thinking..

They both stood in silence for a moment, eyes wide.

"_Edward Elric, _are you _implying _what I _think _your implying?"

"Is that a problem?" He huffed, looking towards the wall with narrowed eyes.

"I don't know _shorty, _is it?" She replied, holding back a stupid grin.

His eyes darted back to her along with his head, eyes narrowed. "I am not short, damn it!" he replied quickly, taking another step forward without thinking, they both clumsily tumbled onto the couch, his right leg landing between hers and his arms saving him from toppling into her by landing on either side of her head. He blushed furiously and attempted to scramble off. "I am so sorry!" He squeaked, voice cracking, but she shot her arms out to grab his pony-tail, keeping him in place. "Eh… sorry for what?" She responded quietly.

Neither of them really knew what they were doing, or what happened, but somehow, someway, they ended up mashing their lips together rather clumsily, Ed sitting up and wrapping his right arm around her waist while his left found its way into the hair at the base of her neck.

.

* * *

.

Al looked up, eyes narrowed, before looking back at Harry and Ron. "… It went quiet…"

Ron looked at Harry, then at Al. "Do you think they murdered eachother?"

Al frowned, worry creasing his face. "I hope not…"

After a pause, all three boys hurriedly got to their feet and bolted for the stairs, opening the door quickly only to find them _making out_ on the couch.

Al gaped. "B-Brother! WINRY!"

They pulled apart, eyes wide, before both looked at the door, finding a shocked Harry and Al, and a impressed-looking Ron.

"What are you _doing_?" Al spoke, eyes still wide, jaw dropped.

"Uh…" They exchanged a glance before looking back at the three in the doorway. "Fighting?"

* * *

_**-evil smirk- I like to call this one: 'Lovers Quarrel'.**_

_**Because, you know this is how their first kiss, and any 'next step' in their relationship is going to end up.**_

_**Period.**_


	4. Slytherin Outcast

"Sir?" Harry turned, coming face-to-face with frightening golden eyes, narrowed into a sort of arrogant glare. He was wearing Slytherin robes. Harry huffed, questioning why he was on what came to be the 'Gryffindor side' of the room before shrugging. He probably wanted to suck up a bit to the head-of-house. Harry briefly noted that he was sitting alone, the other Slytherin fifth years took it upon themselves to even sit in groups of three to flee from the golden-haired boy and banish him to outcasthood, and of course, no Gryffindors bothered to sit by him.

"Mister Elric?" Snape replied, his tone only further soured the look on the boy's face.

_Ah, so he's the transfer student, Edward Elric. _Harry frowned, he'd noticed how disappointed Dumbledore looked, him getting into the Slytherin house.

The boy leaned back in his seat, coming into a lax position as he kicked his feet into the aisle, crossing them at the heel. "You fucked up," He simply said.

Professor Snape's face seemed to darken, considering whether to treat this fairly or give the student better treatment for being in his house.

Ultimately, he picked the latter. "Language," Was the only warning. "How so?" He asked, curiously.

"This is the Draught of Peace, is it not?" Elric huffed, gesturing to the board. "on the second step, you seem to have been thinking of the Draught of the Dead, as you would put that in such, and not the peace." He nodded toward the board again. "Also, from my calculations, if you actually did do that," He nodded toward the board for the third time. "the potion would, indeed, explode. As the connection between two of the ingredients would react and cause a sort of… repelling act to eachother. They won't cooperate, and thus, the potion would try to correct this, only to chemically fuck something else up, the chain goes on… It would explode." He explained, a skeptical, bored, and unimpressed expression falling on his features. "So please, _sir,_" He was sarcastic. "Do not make this mistake again in the future. I hate having my time wasted and I have far better things to do. Maybe you should spend less time giving speeches and playing favorites and more time trying to teach us."

Snape seemed to be struggling on his favor toward his house and his speech before giving up, sending the boy a glare, and fixing the board before ignoring him.

* * *

**Its a tad short and I think Snape is a bit out of character, but all in all, It was a good shot.**


	5. Is that fair?

"Nii-san."

He was frozen solid, but he stuttered out: "A-al?" The wand in his hand dropped to the ground with a clatter.

"That's not fair, Nii-san." Boggart-Al told him, rocking on his heels with a considerably in-genuine smile. More evil, or disgusted. "You want to escape, don't you? You want to run away… The truth is…" He paused, seeming to watch a bead of sweat run down the shorter's cheek.

"you're starting to forget me." Al seemed resentful, as he said this. "Is it easier with just you in that world?"

"N-no!" Ed gasped out, looking almost as if he was about to cry. His face creased in many places around his eyes and nose, his eyebrows drawn together.

Boggart-Al eyed the class slightly, which stayed stunned and too shocked to move. Even Professor Lupin was frozen as such. Al continued, cocking his head at Ed and moving a step closer. "Do you think that that's forgivable?"

"Y-you're wrong," Ed stuttered quietly, stepping forward as well and slinking to his knees, reaching out to grab the boggart's right wrist. "Aru…"

The Boggart's wrist tore off at Ed's touch, the rest of his body slowly assuming the same appearance. "How am I wrong?" He paused, giving the shorter time to slowly draw his hand back, eyes wide and quivering slightly with a mix of horror and sadness. "… Hey, Nii-san? … Who was it that made me like this?" It smirked slightly, head cocked. "Wasn't that…you?"

Ed fell back onto his tailbone, hair-tie falling from his hair as he stared up at the Boggart, a small sob escaping his mouth as he tried to respond. "I-it was unintentional, you know that Al!" he sounded desperate, his voice cracking in many places as beads of sweat continued to roll down his forehead. "I should have listened to you, you're right! Y-you—you're always right Al! It was a mistake to try and bring Mom back, I know that now! The dead don't come back to life! I'm—I'm sorry!"

"And to put me in such a body, wasn't that only further torture?"

"You are my brother—my… my only brother! You're the only—you're all I have left!" Ed wailed, bowing forward with his hands reaching out to catch the shoe of the Boggart.

The Boggart simply rose an eyebrow (the only one he had left, seeing as there was a hole in the other side of his face) "To be _logical, _brother, you are alone here and I'm not even with you—for all you know…" The Boggart hummed. "I'm dead." Ed froze, clutching tighter to the shoe. "You _are _alone, and I'm _not _all you have left. You don't even have me. You're alone, and all you possibly _do _have left is… what? Alchemy? Hmph, you and Shou really are alike." The Boggart grimaced. "Next thing you know, you'll be turning me into a half-dog hybrid. Just like poor… poor _sweet_ Nina."

Ed fell face-first forward, his right hand releasing the shoe to instead come to the floor, digging his nails into the wood there was a small splitting noise as his fingers broke through it. He was sobbing and shaking.

To put it simply, Ed broke down at those words—reverting from a stoic fifteen year old Slytherin to a sobbing helpless ten year old.

The class broke from their shock and Lupin sprung forward to put himself between Ed and the Boggart (which was very difficult, as Ed was clinging to the figure's right foot with his left hand, now). The Boggart shifted to a silvery orb and Remus cast it back into the wardrobe.

Mother hen mode kicking in, Hermione launched herself forward to comfort the boy. As Lupin quickly dismissed the class.

* * *

_A / N_

_Oh GAWD, It's not even FINISHED._

_Anyways, yes, this is the verse where Ed is alone and stuff and he's a Slytherin._

_In case you didn't catch it from that Potions class episode thing._

_Ed has no friends, as a slytherin._

_Just a... ya'know, second Hermione-in-the-first-movie._

_You know, but instead of a troll bringing him and the trio together, its a VERY NASTY ALPHONSE-BOGGART._

_Its TERRIBLE._

_Also, don't bitch about Al not being in character, or any of that shit, because he isn't really Al and he's not SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE AL._

_Cause, you know, This is what Ed's worst fear is; and Al can only be a complete FUCKING DICK when he's in someone's worst fear._

_Or, you know, when someone's threatening to punt a kitten, or something. (- Her her, am I trying to be funny? )_

_Also, yes, Ed's worst fear is to be utterly and completely ALONE, To be like Shou, his memories, and killing someone._

_Thank you._


	6. Arrogant Muggle

Dedicated to : The Curse of Forever

* * *

I was thinking hard to numb the pain throbbing in my chest, gritting my teeth and distracting myself by weighing the options I had in my mind.

I could kick this dumb bitch off of my chest right now and try and find Al, Winry and the others before they get to them; or I could trust this witch (how literal~) to keep her word that she'll take out all her pent up anger or whatever the fuck she was getting from this on me and just ride out the pain until I can think out a plan.

'_A'_

"My, my, you're a quiet one—aren't you? Offering yourself up and then keeping quiet as a tiny mousy—" I flinched slightly a the reference. "Maybe I should order Lucius to go and fetch that sweet, innocent looking boy, or the girl—"

"No!" I growled.

"No?" She innocently hummed back.

"Don't you _dare _touch them!"

She smirked and lowered her mouth to my left ear. "Then _scream, boy._"

She sat back up and dug the knife into my chest again.

'_R'_

I gathered every scream and tear I'd ever held back on our quest for the Philosopher's stone—rewrote every single mistake I've ever made in my head like a novel and _screamed my head off._

'_R'_

The room filled with screams and wails and cries and sobs—most of them stretching the pain, some of them fake, others just built up sorrow.

'_O'_

'_G'_

'_A'_

'_N'_

'_T'_

'_M'_

'_U'_

'_G'_

'_G'_

'_L'_

'_E'_

_CRACK!_

I jumped slightly at the sound of an apparition and shut my mouth immediately as the witch paused. Almost smirking, I lifted my right leg and kicked her off, leaping to my feet and pinning the psycho immediately.

I grinned.

"Lights out."

I pressed my right thumb into a pressure point in her neck and got to my feet again, turning to face the crowd of Death Eaters surrounding me—only to peer around them at the second crowd of Death Eaters surrounding Harry, Ron, Hermione, a house elf, and a few other people, but more importantly Al and Winry.

I sprung over one man's head (giving him a small left-footed kick in the eye on the way) and landed rather protectively in front of the two blonds I'd grown up with.

"Yo, Miss me?" I asked casually, transmuting my artificial arm into it's signature blade.

_'Arrogant Muggle'_

* * *

_A / N : I didn't really know where to cut it off, so I just did it there._

_Riiiight there._

_See it?_

_Right there._

_Up there._

_Kay?_

_Alright._

_Anyways. _


	7. Uncharacteristic

**DRABBLE ONE**

Loud shrieks and small whimpers rang through the house, instantly rousing the three boys that slept in the small room they shared. Sobs cracked through the last, particularly loud, shriek. Wide awake, Harry, Ron, and Alphonse rushed to the older alchemist's side. Harry reached out a hand to try and shake the wailing—yet still asleep—boy out of his nightmare. Al jerked him away by the collar as his older brother bolted upright, wide golden eyes filled with tears and rage, and lashed out with a metal hand.

The younger brother caught Ed's Automail arm by the forearm and put a hand to his cheek comfortingly. "Ed, it's okay. It was just a nightmare, it's all right—"

"What's wrong? What happened? Ed!" Winry was in the doorway, her hair wild in a half-out braid that Ed insisted on after her bath the previous night.

The blond in question kicked off the ground and crawled a foot or so before scrambling to his feet and throwing himself at the mechanic. He protectively cradled the back of her head with a shaking—and no doubt sweaty—flesh hand. Her waist captivated by the very arm she built.

"Ed?" She breathed, confused.

"_Winry, Winry, Winry…" _Was her only reply, as he awkwardly stroked her tangled hair.

"Err… Ed?" She didn't even get words this time, as he nuzzled into her neck and gave a mumbly whimper that sounded suspiciously like her name.

Harry and Ron were befuddled by his uncharacteristic crying, as Al looked oddly sad, but he was smiling all the same and managed a small: "They are so adorable." But, all in all, nothing had to be asked about what his dream was about.

**DRABBLE TWO**

Winry strode into the living room, rubbing her hair dry with a towel as she inched the waistband up on the boxers she'd stolen from the bag of clothes Molly had bought Ed. "Alright, Ed, your turn!"

She glanced around the room with a cocked eyebrow, only met with Ginny and Al's giggling and four mischevious smirks from Ron, Fred, George, and Harry—as well as a eyeroll from Hermione as she turned back to her book.

The mechanic narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "What did you do?"

Her face was suddenly met with the floor and a weight pressed against her back. "Hi! Did you have a nice bath?"

"Ed?" She gasped. Damn, this boy was heavy.

"Yep!"

She growled, and the weight was gone. She sat up and looked around before fixing her gaze on a wide-eyed and grinning Edward Elric. It's so uncharacteristic, it's creepy.

She turned her head to glare at the boys—and Ginny—in that room. "What did you do?"

Ginny was first to speak up, giggling hysterically. "I'm so-sorry, Winry, we didn't k-know that sugar could get him so hyper…" She and Al burst out into another roll of laughter as the collapsed face first on the carpet, rolling over and over and laughing at the obvious excuse.

Ed ignored them and shuffled closer to his victim of a mechanic. Smiling widely, he captured her in another hug. "You didn't answer me~ Did you have a nice bath?~"

Winry directed her gaze to the wizards next. "Not even sugar could make him this creepily happy."

The twins smirked widely. "Oh—alright, It was a magical drug," one started.

"Of a sort." The other finished.

"_What?_" The blond shrieked, startling the Alchemist before he brushed it off and wrapped his legs around her stomach before taking the towel and drying her hair for her.

Both twins jumped at her fury before explaining quickly. "We thought he needed it!" One said in defense, leaving the other to finish with, "He's far too depressing and angry!"

"Winry, did I ever tell you how _nice _you smell?~" Ed trilled from behind her as he combed his fingers through her hair.

"Ed-!"

"You still never told me if you had a nice bath or not-!~"

He was met with a glare, but he took it with a grin instead and separated her hair into three parts. "Do you want me to braid your hair for you?~"

"No, Ed—"

"Awwe, please?~"

The mechanic growled and sighed in defeat, bringing her legs up to her chest and grumbling.

"Yaay!~" The alchemist squealed like he was a kid again—no, scratch that. Like Al in the cat section of a pet store.

Al got up from the floor, pulling Ginny up with him, who was still laughing hysterically from his shoulders, having rolled across them at some point. He wiped a tear from his eye and glanced over at the two blonds, eying his brother, who was trying his hardest to braid _perfectly_ before looking over to the wizards. "You know, I thought this would be a bad idea, but to be honest, when Ed's all giddy like this—they're just _cuter_."

Winry blushed and opened her mouth to protest before Ed detached himself and pulled her to her feet. "Winry! I just had the best idea ever! How about we combine Alchemy and Automail, and we can make little metal flowers!~"

Winry grimaced and looked toward Al. "I don't think this is cute at all, in fact, it's just plain creepy."

Ed cut his brother off—whatever he was about to say, and waved his hand dismissively. "Don't be like that- _Wait!"_ He paused, finger in the air. "Another idea! Lets build a _fort_ right here, in the middle of the living room! You know, outta blankets and stuff!" He turned to Winry again, grinning widely. "Remember when we used to do that when we were kids? You used to be scared of thunderstorms and always complained about how we wouldn't let you sleep with us, so we built a big fort in the middle of the living room and we all slept together while watching all the lightning! I remember that Al wanted to do it again during the next one, and you complained about 'boy germs' and how you weren't scared anymore!" Ed ended with a laugh, still grinning.

Winry tried to keep a straight face, but she ended up smiling a bit too.

"Fort?" Ron questioned.

That set the blond off.

He snapped his head toward the youngest-boy-red-head and gaped. "You've never built a fort before?"

Fred and George exchanged a confused glance.

Ed continued to gape before he suddenly sprinted off, shouting—"Alright! Everyone gather all of the blankets in the house—as well as pillows!"

Al smirked. "We need to drug him more often."


	8. Tell me

"She's fine, she just needs to rest a bit. Off to bed, all of you!"

Ed waved Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Alphonse off as he took a seat next to Winry's bed, giving Poppy a '_I'll leave in a second, I swear~_' smile as she left before leaning forward to rest his arms on the Mechanic's bed.

"You're going to end up staying here all night, aren't you?" Winry grumbled, blowing some hair from her flushed face before rolling over to glare at the golden-eyed boy.

He yawned and nodded, snuggling against her stomach. "Sorry, I'm going to be sitting here until you're all better. Congratulations, princess, you have a personal slave for a few days."

"It's just a fever, Ed," she grumbled, peering curiously at the boy as he tried to steal her warmth from the covers. "God damn it, Ed, if you're going to do that just crawl in here. You're going to get a kink in your back, or something." She glanced at his Automail leg. "Or a cramp."

Ed gave a small smirk, as if that was his plan in the first place, and kicked off his boots before sliding under the covers and rolling onto his side to face her. She pouted, still, and scooted over a bit to make room for the Alchemist. "You never give me _or _Al space when we're sick." She mumbled.

He shrugged. "You're right, I don't. You have a strong immune system, Winry, why are you sick?" He asked innocently, bringing his cold Automail hand up to rest on her forehead and pressing his cheek against her's. "It makes me uneasy when you have a fever…"

She bit her lip slightly. "It's probably a wizard sickness, or something," with this, Ed moved closer rather protectively. She paused before cocking her head. "Is it because your… Mom…?"

Ed shifted uncomfortably before nodding. "Yeah…"

Silence hung off of that sentence, the only sound being Ed as he tried to get comfortable in the little space that he was offered.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

"I don't like making you worry."

"We have that in common."

Winry shifted slightly before scooting her right arm under his neck and laying the other over his side, wedging it under the Automail. "You still have a fever," was all he grumbled in reply.

"It's not going to go away in three minutes, you should know that, Alchemy freak."

"I'm worried, you Machine junkie!"

"Pipsqueak."

He snarled, but whispered his response at a growl. "I'm not a pipsqueak!"

"Whatever you say, Bookworm."

He snorted. "Tomboy."

She smirked slightly. "Girl."

He jumped slightly, glaring down at her. "I'm no girl!"

She hushed him, giggling. He rose his hand to ruffle her hair with a small growl. "Go to sleep, sickly little grease monkey." She giggled again and nodded, curling into his neck and nuzzling into his jaw. When the Alchemist shifted, probably to evacuate to the chair from earlier, she whined her discontent and hugged him tighter. The boy surrendered and sighed, wedging his left arm under her neck and cradling her head with his left hand, pulling the blankets up with his free right.

She mumbled something against his neck drowsily and he shook out of his drowsiness to mumble back a small: "What?"

"Nevermind." She insisted sleepily.

He pursed his lips and pouted. "No, tell me."

She pulled back to glare at him, seeming brighter in the cheeks before growling back. "Drop it."

He narrowed his eyes and sat up straighter on his left elbow, dropping her head from his cradle. "No! Tell. Me."

"It wasn't important!" She insisted in her yelling-at-a-whisper counter that matched his.

He furrowed his eyebrows. "I want to know anyway!"

She gave a loud _'sshhhh_!' and sat up, folding her arms across her chest. "It's not important, so drop it!"

He sat up too, only to push her down a little roughly. When she moved to sit up again, he pressed his right hand against her shoulder. "Just tell me!"

She grumbled, the flush lengthening down her neck slightly. He dropped his scowl and worriedly pressed his cheek to her forehead with a discontent hum. "… Tell me?"

She snorted. "You're a stubborn jackass, you know that?"

He grinned, shrugging. "Hey, Alchemists search for the truth. It's our nature."

"Oh, so all Alchemy freaks are stubborn jackasses? That makes sense."

"Winry," he grumbled back.

She sighed, capturing him in a hug again. "I'm tired."

He shrugged and gently laid back down as well, careful not to squish her arm. "I'm going to make you tell me in the morning, you realize…"

She giggled, but coughed to end it, nuzzling back into his neck.

"Love you…" She mumbled.

He froze, blinking.

The silence hung heavy.

"Gonna say something…?" She whimpered slightly.

Ed shifted and wedged his left arm under her neck again, cradling her head and adverting his gaze to some place on her neck. "Y-you t-too…"

.

* * *

.

"We should go check on Winry before breakfast." Al yawned, trudging into the common room in his pajamas, something that was deemed completely safe—as it happened to be the weekend before the start of Christmas break. They'd all decided to stay, this time.

Hermione nodded, buttoning the last button on her shirt as she skipped the last step that went up to the girls' dormitory. "Yeah," She looked around. "Where's Ed? He'll want to come. He was so worried yesterday…"

Al chuckled knowingly, smirking. "He wasn't in his bed, he's probably already down visiting her."

Harry checked his watch, eyebrows furrowed. "Madam Pomfry probably isn't even awake yet."

Al smirked, giving a small giggle. "Oh ho ho."

Hermione rolled her eyes and shrugged, glancing between Ron and Al. "No clothes?"

Ron shrugged, also staying in the clothes he went to sleep in. Al answered for the both of them while rolling his neck. "When it's the weekend, Hermione, you're _supposed _to spend all day in your jammies."

She rolled her eyes (again) and shrugged. "At least put a shirt on?"

Al shook his head, crossing his arms. "Nooo waay~"

Harry sighed and shook his head, gesturing toward the door. "Lets just go."

.

* * *

.

Al giggled, Ron gaped, Hermione blushed and gaped, and Harry simply blinked in surprise.

"I guess Ed _is _still asleep." Al chuckled quietly, smirking over at his brother and childhood friend with a curious twinkle in his eye.

"Did he even _leave_?" Hermione questioned.

"Probably not." Al replied, scratching his head slightly. "They're so cute, though, aren't they?"

Hermione shifted a bit before smiling slightly herself. "Yeah, they are…"

Ron hummed slightly, nibbling on the toast he'd snagged from the Great Hall on the way.

Harry smirked slightly too. "Maybe we should just leave…"

Al blinked and glanced at Harry. "You're kidding, right? We have to find that kid with the camera."


	9. NAKED

"I don't know _why_ you're so angry, Ed."

"You saw me n-n-NAKED! I have a RIGHT to be angry!" He sounded simply _scandalized_.

She shrugged. "Well, you needed a towel."

"You could have given me a _second_ of _warning_!" He shouted back.

She huffed, rolling her eyes. "Really, Ed, it's not like I haven't seen you naked before—"

"That's _half naked_. I was _FULLY naked just now!_"

"Technically, you're still fully naked." Winry replied, glancing down at the towel on his waistline, seeming amused as he jumped when she looked back up to his eyes.

He sputtered and pointed accusingly. "You dirty, _dirty_ woman!"

She snickered as response. "I'm also pretty sure you were _pretty damn naked_ during Automail surgery."

He gaped. "WHAT? Why wasn't I told about this?"

Winry shrugged, scratching her head. "Guess it slipped my mind. Al never bothered to tell you?"

Ed's eyes narrowed considerably, he glared over his shoulder, through the cloud of steam that still billowed from the bathroom door (Winry wondered why he took such hot showers, she preferred her's cold). "Where is that little monster, anyway?"

Winry cocked an eyebrow. "Monster? You mean _Alphonse_? _Our_ Alphonse? He's no monster, If anyone, you're the monster. He's the sweetest thing ever."

Ed glanced back at her. "You obviously don't know my brother when it's just the two of us. He's evil. Pure evil."

Winry snorted. "Oh, really?"

Ed nodded back matter-of-factly.

Winry yawned. "Hey, Ed."

"What?" He responded, cocking his head.

"I saw you naaakeeed~" She sung, smirking and bolting down the stairs.

Ed growled and made sure his towel was extra-secure with his hair-tie before bolting after her. "You shut up, Automail Junkie!"

* * *

A / N:

Oh god. So short, but _so amusing_.

I wish I had someone to draw this crap out for me. Jeezus, this is hilarious.


	10. It's hard to tell

A / N : This could be considered an M, I guess? I don't really know. Tell me if it needs the rating. *nodnod*

**It's hard to tell...**

'No need to be snippy, shrimp.' Winry growled, picking at her lunch with her fork but not bothering to stuff anything in her mouth. She'd only sat down for five minutes next to her newly-proclaimed boyfriend and they were already in an argument.

'Who're you callin' a shrimp, Automail geek?' Edward responded quickly, not missing a beat. She'd only sat down for five minutes and she was already pissed. Oh, how he loved ticking her off. She always got so cute… not that he would admit that, of course.

'Who else but you? Everyone else here's height matches their age!' She snapped back, turning her head to glare at the golden-eyed alchemy geek. He didn't seem angry at all! What the hell? Sitting there smirking, what's he doing?

'Well, everyone else here's gender matches their profession, too.'

'Most of the people ere don't have professions, idiot!'

'Still.' He remained smirking as she turned redder and redder with rage.

'Why aren't you yelling by now?' she shot back, pointing her finger directly toward him as she swung her leg over the bench to face him.

He blinked down at her hand before leaning forward to press his lips lightly to her nail. 'I like watching you get all angry.' He drew back, leaning his elbow on the table and resting his cheek in the palm. 'Amusing.'

Her eyebrows furrowed.

'You look confused, now.' He narrated.

She grunted, eyes narrowing. She clocked his temple lightly and went back to her plate, childishly ignoring him.

…

'_Why_ are you blushing so hard?' She mumbled, looking his way as they walked together toward the Hogwarts library. He glanced at their linked hands and around the deserted hallway before shrugging slightly, looking away from her as she swung their hands lightly.

…

'I was kind of beginning to wonder if we were, you know, and… item.'

'Mmm… Why?' he mumbled against her neck, keeping her locked in his lap with his right hand on her back and his left resting on her waist. A forgotten pile of books (gathered from around where they sat in the Grimmauld place library) was knocked over by her foot as he struck a ticklish spot on her side. He chuckled and nipped her neck lightly.

'You've hardly… been doing anything boyfriend-ly since we… g-got together.'

He grinned against her neck at her stuttering, raking his teeth across the flesh before nibbling the back of her neck. 'Am now…' he mumbled. 'No place private in that damn school. Kind of lad we got…' he moved to feather kisses along her jaw. 'dragged here for that… "Christmas" thing…'

'D-do you…'

'Mm?'

'D'you want to… continue?' Winry mumbled into his neck, hands running through his clawed-loose hair.

He froze for a moment before his right hand resumed massaging along her spine. 'N-not really,' he stuttered. 'I kind of wanted to wait until we were back home…'

'In your bed?' She giggled, mewling slightly and nibbling at his neck herself (he flinched in surprise before purring slightly.)

'Noo~' he chuckled. 'I was thinking more like…' he gave an almost-giggle. 'Your workbench?'

She laughed, catching his lips with a chaste peck. 'How can you know me so well?'

…

'So, brother…' Al began teasingly, leaning back in his chair. Most of everyone looked toward the younger Elric, as he'd been silent through most of the meal, aside from the occasional giggle. 'What's this about a workbench?'

Water was sprayed across the table at Alphonse, who ignored the shocked response. Ed slowly turned to look at Winry, sitting at his right. She was gaping and looking toward him with the same expression.

'You…?

'No, you did!'

'I did not!'

Al chuckled. 'Neither of you did.' He made a popping sound with his lips. 'You know, the library isn't entirely private. Especially when your brother's more of a bookworm than you are, Brother.'

The elder Elric's face slowly flushed before he sprang across the table to pin his younger brother, yelling inaudible things about respecting your older brother and privacy. Al simply laughed, keeping his brother at bay through the whole fight.

A / N:

… *smirk* XD Dude…

Well, does it need a M rating? I don't really think so myself, considering they didn't really do anything, but I dunno. That's just me. Am I the only one that thinks that this is pretty much all just one big EdWin-themed collection? Geez. XD


	11. Caught Between Two

_**Caught Between Two**_

I couldn't stop thinking of reasons to keep my hands off of Winry.

We were in the middle of '_England'_, for one reason. We weren't home; we weren't where we were supposed to be, nestled on the warm, comfy, orange couch in her living room with Granny nagging us from the other room and Al smiling fondly at us from his position beside Den on the floor. We weren't in a safe, warm, comforting place where I could easily keep an eye on her. Instead, we were separated by '_dormitories_' and _'charms'_. I couldn't run into her room when I had a nightmare about her well-being. Instead I just had to wait out the pain, the irrational fear, and the insomnia by myself- curled among the sheets in the most pathetic way possible- until I could see her face again. Those warm, comforting, sky-colored eyes and that long, early morning sunshine hair. I hated that, having to wait to make sure she was safe, having to torture myself with the thoughts that she could be locked up in some creep's cellar among the broken bottles of wine and knives. Chained up somewhere…

I was afraid of getting hurt, too. She's the most stunning woman ever, and I know I'm not the greatest catch. Some '_geeky_' boy with a temper problem and nightmares every night. She has the best personality I've ever encountered (_violence overlooked_) and, honestly, she could find better than me. Way better than me. I'm just waiting for the day that she'll throw my sorry ass in the gutter and go after Al or some nice guy making a good living in Resembool…

A good, _whole_ guy.

I know she loves metal, working with it as much as she does. _Choosing_ to be sweaty and oily (though, I'll admit, I've grown fond of the smell of machines, oil, metal, and _her sweat_ is the _best _sweat) through her work just so she can see someone stand up on their own two legs, or hold their girlfriend, daughter, wife, brother… whatever with _two arms_. Really though, being honest, I've looked at myself in a full-body mirror in my boxers and puzzled over Winry before. Who could ever love some arrogant brat with this many scars. Hell, a boy who, with the flick of a few levers, is missing _two whole limbs_. Almost _half_ of his body. Who could ever love someone that is so hideously scarred? I don't understand her thought process. I don't understand how she can stand there with my Automail fully visible, as well as all of my scars from the waist up, and kiss me. Kiss me like she actually means it.

I don't understand. I don't understand at all.

She's so stunningly flawless, even her work-calloused hands (which prove to be soft, somehow, running over my back or chest or traveling over my scalp) are as slender and beautiful as the rest of her. During the time I puzzled over what Armstrong's sister might look like, I wondered how muscles could ever be hot on a chick. Well, now I know. Very, very well—considering what she wears, sometimes.

I don't understand how she could be so perfect, and end up with someone… like me.

I must either have very good luck, or her luck must be as terrible as Mustang's during the Spring's shower phase.

I know that I'll get hurt, one of these days, for one of these reasons. I know that I'll never get over it. Winry could find happiness anywhere, with her judgment and personality and beauty. I, however, don't see myself with anyone else. I don't see myself ever falling in love again. I might sound like some love-sick teenager that's only spouting crap about love because of a phase, but I can honestly say that I _am_ in love with her. My heart races just looking at her honest blue eyes or her wide, pink-lipped smile, or her long hair waving along with the graceful way that she walks. Hell, even at the wrench that swings my way when I've done something stupid. Isn't that what love is? I know what infatuation is, just from my small brief crushes like Rose, Riza, Ran Fan and Maria. I got over all of that within a few hours, though, (I don't even begin to know how Ran Fan and Rose occurred, I guess they were just somewhat attractive to me. That quickly blew up, though. Maria lasted until I noticed how perfectly her and Brosh fit together, and Riza…well I've always had a thing for violent blonds) without the charm Winry had.

Then again, I can't stop thinking of reasons to keep her held as tightly as possible to me, either.

I can't understand. I don't understand. I can't decide.

I can't decide between what I want and what's better for her. Between my doubts and my wishes, my feelings and how she might feel… whether I want her close enough to protect or far enough away that I can't bother her or threaten her with the impending doom of my various hidden magnets that draw trouble in left and right. I can't decide between being happy and… being a heartbroken wreck over what's better for my mechanic.

I want to be selfish. I want so badly to be selfish, but I feel like this will be the best thing that ever happens to me.

I love her. I love the way she wraps her arms around my waist or my neck or yanks me into a kiss by my collar or my hair. I love (oddly enough) how she never fails to hit me over the head with the very wrench I bought her just to train me into being a good little boyfriend. I love the way she tells me that it's okay to touch her with my Automail, and that she doesn't care ("_hell, I made it in the first place. Dork."_ She would say, rolling her eyes). I love the way she keeps the nightmares away just by letting me cling to her and fall asleep nuzzled into her neck. I love… I love her. More than the world.

I don't want to let her go.

"So hang on." Al tells me, not pausing to think about how he's a _boy_ and he's not _supposed_ to let his _big brother_ hold back tears and confess all his secrets about the dream relationship he's having doubts about. Not pausing to think about how _men_ don't hug their big brother and tell the screw up that it's okay, and he's worrying over nothing, while he should be slapping me and telling me to get a hold of myself.

Al's never been much of a hell-bent manly-man anyway. He always just listened to his instincts.

"I want to… I want to, I do…"

"Then make her happy, brother. Damn it." He would chuckle, giving me a small pat on the back before pulling away and grinning. "Now go. Talk to her."

I nod, and pull away. Hesitating, I stumble as Al pushed on my back slightly before setting off into the next room, sitting down next to Winry and the grandfather clock she's taking apart on the floor (I don't even bother to ask).

"Winry…?"

"Mhm?" She mumbles back, fully concentrated on the work before her.

"I… I want you to be happy." I say, licking my lips in an almost nervous way and gazing at her gloved hands, buried deep into the heart of the clock.

She looks up and I try to overlook the way she freezes in the middle of her work. I bite my lip and wait for a response instead.

"Well that's stupid," she says. My heart takes a suicide dive and I'm surprised to find that my chest _actually_ _hurts_. Just from a sentence. "If you want me to be happy," she scoffs, "then just say 'I'll make you happy'." She makes a sound like it's obvious, and I try to keep my shoulders from shaking. I look up and meet her confused, and somewhat angry eyes.

"I love you." I whisper, reaching out my Automail hand to rest on her's.

"I love you too, dork." She replies, anger vanishing as well as confusion, as her lips twist into a smile and she draws forward to press her lips to mine.

I cup the back of her neck and kiss back, letting it last as only a chaste encounter before pulling away and smiling that genuine smile that she says she loves. Not a grin, not a smirk, not forced. Just a real smile, one that only she and Al can bring.

I'll keep her close, I decide. I'll keep her as close as possible and make her happy. I'll guard her through all of the trouble that I bring and protect her from anything that she might bring, troublemaker that she is. Living with the woman you love is a happiness that can exist anywhere. I'll take in all that I've done, and all that's happened, and I'll smile in front of her. I _will_ make her happy. I _will_ survive. Most of all, I'll never leave her again. I'll stay by her side through all that happens…

I don't know how. I don't know why she would ever agree… but somehow, one day I'm going to get Winry Rockbell to be my wife.

_**A/N: **_

_I've been wanting to do something like this for a while, where Ed's worried over if he wants Winry to be close enough to protect, or far enough away that he doesn't need to protect her. :)_

_Dedicated to The Curse Of Forever because, to be honest, she's my favorite reviewer and I promised to write her something today. :) You can make it through the week, girly. You can do it.  
_

_- _Annie


	12. Depth Charge

_"__We were in the middle of '__England'__, for one reason. We weren't home; we weren't where we were supposed to be, nestled on the warm, comfy, orange couch in her living room with Granny nagging us from the other room and Al smiling fondly at us from his position beside Den on the floor. We weren't in a safe, warm, comforting place where I could easily keep an eye on her. Instead, we were separated by '__dormitories__' and__'charms'__. I couldn't run into her room when I had a nightmare about her well-being. Instead I just had to wait out the pain, the irrational fear, and the insomnia by myself- curled among the sheets in the most pathetic way possible- until I could see her face again. Those warm, comforting, sky-colored eyes and that long, early morning sunshine hair. I hated that, having to wait to make sure she was safe, having to torture myself with the thoughts that she could be locked up in some creep's cellar among the broken bottles of wine and knives. Chained up somewhere…"_

_**Caught Between Two: Depth Charge**_

I shot up in bed, grabbing onto the nearest thing, the curtain separating my bed from the rest of the room.

I breathed heavily, trying to calm myself down.

_"ED! E-Ed! EDWARD!"_

I shook, the shadows dancing around my hands seeming to form into hands, or tint red into the shade of blood. Images flashed in front of my eyes as I blocked out the screams that still seemed to echo in my mind and the horrible red that overtook the hair, blond as the morning sunshine, and the sky-blue eyes filled with tears-

I needed to move.

I pushed the blue curtain away with a shaking hand, looking around the room. There was no comfort here, what with Al being possibly all the way across the school in Hufflepuff's dormitories. The room Winry was in was blocked by charms that kept me far, far away. I could handle this with skilled nonchalance during the day, easily. Aloof as always, I acted like I didn't give a shit.

Thinking twice, I pulled the curtain shut again and tangled myself back into the blankets, clutching my pillow to my chest and trembling beneath the shadows. I kept my sobs silent as possible, but without a good book with me, there is no doubt that my mind would stray back to the nightmare, no matter what I did.

The way I acted is far from how I feel, though. Winry's not worried, and Al's too far away to know when I do and don't have nightmares. Winry never knows, as far as she knows I _don't_ have nightmares. As far as she knows, I'm completely normal, un-haunted by my past mistakes. The only one that _should_ know is Al, the only one with permission to see me as I am at night, curled among my blankets in a shivering mess like I am now. Though, I hear bedsprings creak as Terry Boot, the boy in the bed closest to mine, shifts and struggles to get back to sleep after my waking him up in the middle of the night. He'd asked me once, during a potions class, why I'm always screaming or sobbing in my sleep. I told him that it was none of his business and that I just have frequent nightmares. Michael Corner grumbles a bit across the room as he struggles to fall back into sleep as well.

My mind, of course, travels back to my latest nightmare, and I find myself ignoring my roommates as I suffocate my pillow and try to block out the screams and sobs filling my mind, as well as the short screams of my name, begging for help, something that I couldn't give. In the vivid recall of my dream, I remember the reason. Tied to a chair, I was supposed to watch her be tortured and killed before my own death.

(Briefly, I wonder how my mind got to be so _sick_... I disgust myself...)

I fidget in bed, trying to force down the urge to run to her room and make sure she's okay. In the darkness of the night, your mind can get whacky and your sanity is on the line. You can hardly know what's what in the dark. My mind, (or part of it) knows that she's fine, curled up with her pillow in a peaceful sleep with her odd sleeping position of laying on her back with one hand curled and the other resting over her stomach. My instinct (or another part of my mind), though, is slowly going insane with the irrational fear that she'll be gone in the morning, torn to shreds in some creep's basement, or hanging by her wrists, un-breathing, in _another_ creep's basement. Maybe simply as a gravestone, or collapsed on the floor of her dormitory, unmoving and unbreathing. My mind came up with that one two days ago, inspired by remembering Mama's death the day previous (someone had brought up moms at the table, and they wouldn't leave me alone until I admitted that she was dead and scooted off to the library).

Before I knew it, morning light filtered through the window that was barely visible through the crack between my curtain and bed-poster. Still shivering, still coated in sweat, (from a quick glance in a nearby mirror) still pale and haunted-eyed, I got to my feet and dressed myself before stumbling downstairs and into the common room. With no sight of Winry (though, that also seemed reasonable. It was, after all, only five in the morning at best) my heartbeat quickened to something similar to pre-panic-attack. I steadied myself on one of the plush blue couches and forced deep, shuttering breaths.

_Breathe... breathe damn it all... _

I stumbled out of the common room and moved into the Great Hall. Thankful of the weekend, I plopped down at the Ravenclaw table and folded my arms in front of me. I sat there for a good two hours, listening to the ticking of my pocket watch as I waited. It was quiet enough to hear it, too. People only started trickling in at six thirty, leaving me alone as I stared at a nick in the table (trying to distract myself with ways that it could have come to be). Around seven, I bothered to look up just as Tyler Fenning, a Ravenclaw boy in my year (and, indeed, he seemed to have a few bags under his eyes from last night's episode), waltzed in next to Draco Malfoy. They were talking, about something, and Draco seemed to find it amusing. I was about to drop my head again when Malfoy turned his head, smirking at me.

I furrowed my eyebrows, shoulders growing tense as the redheaded Ravenclaw and the blond Slytherin strutted up to me, grins adorning their faces. Deep down, I could probably guess what this was about, but I was out of it, still, and all I could think about was my nightmare. "From what I hear, you're having a bit of sleep troubles. Ey, Elric?" he swung his leg over the bench and sat down next to me in an almost _friendly _manner. "What's with that face? Sounds like a good dream to me. '_Winry! Winry!'_ isn't that what he was moaning, Tyler?" he looked up at the redhead, who gave an affirming nod, grinning just as wide. I suddenly remembered that this was one of the less-pleasant, pureblooded kids, and I didn't like the idea of putting up with him for however long.

I looked back to Malfoy, a scowl adorning my features. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Sure I do," Draco returned, seemingly amused by all of this. "Now, I know she's hot, but she's your best friend, isn't she? Does _she_ know you're having dreams of _this sort_?"

"You're full of shit," I snorted, fists clenching and unclenching.

"From your expression alone, I can guess that she doesn't," the blond chuckled, heartily enjoying the teasing, and my response. Seems to be in a good mood, wonder what happened over the last day or so.

"Did Tyler happen to mention the _distress_ in my tone? Or are you two so uneducated that you can mistake that sort of thing for lust?" I curled my lip in a snarl at this, squeezing the wood with my right hand and trying to imagine it being his _face_ instead. Oh, how I would give to use one of Scar's methods on this annoying twit. Annoying twit or not, though. He's a living person with a family... I couldn't do that. I suppose the table will have to be a substitute then.

"_Distress_?" Malfoy replied, seeming unsure how to respond to this at first. "Well-"

"Listen, dick. You're not getting anything out of this other then unadulterated rage. Stop trying before I have to break your face." I snarled, the sound came out a bit gargled, though, as I swallowed halfway through the noise. Images flashed back into my mind from a few of my various nightmares, I suppose Malfoy really did get to me. I had that one, modeled off of a rape case that Mustang was putting the office up to, more than a month ago. Taking a deep breath, I sat (didn't notice that I stood, though) and examined the breakfast items around me. I wasn't particularly hungry, though, so I left them, instead staring into my reflection in the plate.

"Break my face? How brutal."

I snorted. "I gave you the child-proofed version, believe me."

"Not sure if I can believe you, sounds a bit exaggeratory to me."

I looked up, cocking an eyebrow and raising my right hand, fork curled into my fist. I stretched my thumb up and applied pressure, snapping the utensil in half. I ignored Malfoy trying to make a casual getaway, promising he'd be back subtly, and turned to look at Tyler. I furrowed my eyebrows as I noticed he disappeared, but my question was answered anyway as Winry was already halfway down the aisle way between the Ravenclaw and Slytherin tables. She plopped down next to me and gave me a bright smile.

"Good morning!"

I smiled back, noticing the clammy feel to my skin disappear. _It is now._ "Morning."

"So, what was that all about?" Winry asked, gesturing to Malfoy.

"Oh, nothing. He was just being an ass. Nothing out of the ordinary. Did you just wake up?"

"Oh, you know it! Would've slept longer, but Luna insisted on dragging me out of bed, wanted help picking out her clothes for the day, apparently. Odd girl, don't you think? She's nice and everything, and I enjoy her company, but she's a little off." She chuckled, plucking a good fifty pieces of bacon from the plate in front of her (in reality, it was probably only ten or so). "I like her, though. She's a good friend. How about you, did you sleep okay?"

I swallowed thickly, reaching my left hand up to ruffle the hair on the crown of her head before turning back forward. "Oh, yeah, yeah, I slept fine." I smoothly lied.

"Are you gonna eat? Or have you already?" She questioned, smoothing out her hair before plucking a few blueberry pancakes from the plate in front of me and biting into a strip of bacon.

"Oh, yeah. I was just waiting for you. A bit worried when you didn't show up an hour ago. You're usually out and about at seven thirty-ish, aren't you?" I snagged a few pancakes myself, blueberry as well as chocolate chip, and doused them in boysenberry syrup, finally calm enough to eat.

"Kind of creepy that you know my sleeping habits," she didn't seem bothered by it, though, chuckling.

"Yeah, well. I'm a scientist, I observe things. Why weren't you up?"

"Well, _dad_," She said sarcastically. "I was up late studying because _someone_ couldn't spare the time to-"

I looked toward the girl, not bothering to ask why she was studying when the weekend just came into play. "What? You never asked!"

"I don't _need_ to ask! You're the one that called me a... a '_ditz_' the other day!"

"I did not call you a ditz," I grumbled through a mouthful of blueberry and boysenberry.

"Yes you did! I clearly remember-"

"Then you're not a ditz!" I replied, swallowing. "Damn." I couldn't help but smile and watch her go off on how she isn't a ditz, but she needs help with that stuff, and how she shouldn't have to ask.

"Perfectly fine..." I whispered under my breath, over to run my flesh hand through her hair.

"Uh... What?" I guess I cut her off with my mumbling and fond stroking of her hair.

I coughed, drawing my hand away. "N-nothing, sorry." I turned back to my plate and shoveled a few pieces of bacon in my mouth, along with another two (folded up) pancakes.

"... Hey," I felt heat rush to my face as she cupped my chin and turned me to look at her. She studied my eyes. "Are you okay? Your eyes are bloodshot and you have these dark circles under your eyes..."

I bit my lip at those worried eyes, brought back to my dream, I nodded. Briefly considering asking for a hug (of course, shooting that consideration down the drain quickly), I opened my mouth to say something, change the subject. She pulled me forward, though, and nuzzled her face into my chest.

"U-uh..."

"Al tells me you had a lot of nightmares, when you were on the road..."

Dead on. She got that one, didn't she? "I-I..."

She squeezed tighter, mumbling something that sounded something like: "No excuses..."

I swallowed, shyly returning the hug. "I've... been having dreams about you a lot, lately. To be honest..." I paused. "Not very pleasant ones, actually..."

"... Me?" She mumbled, pulling back to look up at me. I nodded, shifting uncomfortably and beginning to feel like there were eyes on us.

"Want to go outside for a bit? It's supposed to be warm today..."

She nodded, understanding the want for privacy while talking about things like nightmares. We un-linked and got to our feet, making it outside in a matter of minutes to sit on a sunny hill. I lay out beside her, remembering times when we would go outside on hot Resembool days and sit under the tree while Al played with Den.

"... I didn't used to have so many dreams about you. They would fan out a lot, my nightmares..." It felt odd, talking about this with someone other than Al. "They'd be reoccurring, most of them..."

"... What're they about? The other ones, I mean."

"Most of them are about people blaming me... Like, the... the thing I transmuted with mom's voice, blaming me for not making her right... Or Tucker, telling me that I'm just like him... Al, blaming me for what happened to him." I chuckled. "Sometimes I'd have nightmares for other people. Like Mustang, after I heard about what Ishval was like... I kept thinking of what it must be like to do that sort of thing to innocent people... blowing them up... I'd have nightmares about the gate..." I trailed off, tilting my head to look at her. She looked back, eyes full of questions, but she only asked one.

"What about the dreams you have about me?"

"I only started having those after the hostage situation... I think I didn't notice before how much danger I could put you in. I guess I always thought you were safe, tucked away in the mountains, innocently waiting for me to come back so you could bust my head open with a wrench." I chuckled at her sound of protest before continuing. "I started having dreams about... random things. The military cutting you up because I refused to kill, some creep taking you hostage because he wanted to see the 'Hero of the People' in a desperate situation..." I closed my eyes, basking in the sun that turned my eyelids semi-translucent.

"... Ed..."

My eyes slid open, only to find Winry hovering over me, eyebrows turned up in that worried way. I felt the blood rush to my cheeks, looking up at her, but responded. "E-er... yeah?"

"I'm right here, I'm fine..." she mumbled, leaning down closer.

"U-uh, yeah. I-I know that, but when it's the middle of the night... this irrational fear... I can't just run into the girls dormitory and make sure you're..."

I trailed off, swallowing thickly as I noticed her face was right in front of mine.

"I'm fine..." she whispered again, her right hand coming up to cup my cheek.

and then... she kissed me. She _kissed me_.

I was shocked, initially, as anyone would be. Confused, would be a good word. She was... kissing me? I began to wonder if I'd drifted off to sleep when she started pulling away. Panicking slightly at this, as I realized I hadn't kissed back. I leaned up, re-locking our lips instinctually. She seemed slightly surprised herself at this, as if she hadn't expected _me_ to want to kiss _her_. For the first time since I woke up shaking, the dream was completely erased from my mind, and I was completely focused on moving my lips against her's _without _seeming like I didn't know what I was doing.

After the need for air became desperate, I pulled away, gasping in air and watching her to the same.

"W-what was that?" I panted, noticing that, at some point, I'd flipped our positions, ending up with my left hand in her hair, and my right hand supporting my weight over her.

"I-I don't know..." She responded, glancing at my hand as it left her hair, instead coming to her side, supporting my weight further. "... but... I liked it..." She looked back up to me.

I tilted my head slightly. _Really?_ "Oh really?" I smirked, and leaned down to peck her lips chastely.

"I... uh... didn't know you liked me." She murmured, eyes wide and owlish.

"I didn't know _you_ liked _me_." I replied, pausing before adding to the sentence. "A-assuming you do..."

She looked offended. "I wouldn't do _that_ if I didn't!"

"So..." I started slowly, swallowing thickly and fighting a blush. _I have no idea how to do this..._ "Should we... uh... g-get together?"

Suddenly she was grinning; smiling the brightest smile I'd ever seen (similar to when she enters an auto parts shop). Her arms came up to wrap around my neck and drag me back down into another kiss. Breaking off after a good (very, _very good_) six seconds, she said: "Does that answer your question?"

"Yes?" I responded hopefully, grinning.

She smiled, leaning up for another peck on the lips. "Of course, Dummy."

_**A/N:**_

_OH GOD. 2,919 words! GOD DAMN. WHAT HAVE I DONE?_

_Almost three thousand!~ *cheer*_

_Anyway! Major depth charge from that bit I quoted up there from 'Caught Between Two' (the previous chapter). I guess this is ALSO dedicated to Cursie (your name is too hard for my aching fingers, darling. D:) to help her get through to sunday! THANK HER, EVERYONE, THIS IS THE REASON I'M GOING TO BE UPDATING EVERY DAY UNTIL THE WEEK'S OVER. (though, I'll probably start doing this regularly. NO PROMISES)._

_Love you, Cursie m'dear~_

_-Annie_


	13. Contest

_**Contest**_

I wonder, when they established this mystery challenge that no one can back out of…

Did they ever think that there might be someone that didn't know how to swim? Or rather, physically couldn't? Did they ever think, that maybe, just maybe, one of these kids would have terrible scars all over their body? Maybe artificial limbs? Something to hide?

Of course not. The wizarding world is a _perfect _world. One with absolutely normal people everywhere. Of course, no one gets scars, because magic doesn't leave scars—

(Oh wait, there is Harry, he got a scar from magic. Rebounds fuck everyone over, don't they?)

I hold my chin high, but each startled gasp hurts, if only a little. Hands—metal and flesh—fist at my sides and I stare out toward the water, waiting for the damn judges to get over their damn shock and tell us to go already. I have a little brother to save, here, and then some ass to kick. Oh, wait. I'm a _student_ I should probably do that _verbally_.

I clench my teeth when the shock doesn't blow over and look over my shoulder. Even Hermione is looking at me with something akin to horror. I see disgust among them, as well. Pity, sympathy. I don't need any emotions, I don't need any of them. I was already heavily loaded in stress just with the idea of jumping into any body of water with these death traps bolted into my bones.

I was scared. I was legitimately terrified, standing here on a dock, ready to jump into a lake infested with things that would pull me down _further_ as a struggled to even stay up a fraction to go get my little brother.

I clear the lump in my throat and take a deep breath, standing up straight in that military-like stance that Hawkeye instructed when teaching me to salute. "Say what you will. Before you do, though, we have people we need to save, don't we?"

There was a short pause before the competition started and I dove off of the dock and into one of my greatest weaknesses.

_**A/N:**_ _Now I seriously wonder if they ever thought that one of the champions might not know how to swim. o-o_

_ALSO, IT'S NOT EDWIN! Winry's not even in this one! :D_

_xD_

_*success*  
_


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